An historic movement toward a Convention of States is well underway

AUSTIN, TX—Texas Public Policy Foundation President and CEO Brooke Rollins and Director of the Center for Tenth Amendment Action Dr. Thomas Lindsay issued the following statements on the Tennessee General Assembly’s passage of Senate Joint Resolution 67, calling for a convention of states to propose amendments under Article V of the United States Constitution:

“An historic movement toward a Convention of States is well underway,” said Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “An Article V Amendments Convention to revive Constitutional fidelity and restore the promises of liberty, individual rights, and due process in the face of an aggressively expanding federal government is exactly what this country needs in order to preserve and protect freedom.

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“Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s ‘Texas Plan,’ announced at our annual Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature, has energized the national movement for an Article V convention. It builds upon longstanding efforts like the Convention of States project, active across America and instrumental in today’s victory in Tennessee.”

“Chief Justice John Roberts reminded the country in 2012 that, ‘The States are separate and independent sovereigns. Sometimes they have to act like it,’” said Dr. Thomas Lindsay, Director of the Center for Tenth Amendment Action at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “Last month, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that Texas was going to act on the sovereignty granted it by the U.S. Constitution and apply for an Article V Convention of States for the purpose of shrinking our Leviathan-like federal government and returning power to the states and their citizens. Washington, D.C., has proven itself unable or unwilling to extricate our country from the abyss into which its profligate spending has thrust us. Fortunately, the Founders of this country anticipated the grow-at-all-costs agenda that drives federal politicians. For this reason, our Constitution provides in Article V the process by which We The People can restore our liberties. The time for action is now.”

We must not have fear to use article V . Our founding Fathers gave this to us for these very dark times . my only fear is that we do not have a convention of the states . Nothing will change for the better if we sit idle and do nothing . It dose not matter who gets elected that never changes anything . Be brave enough to care for our nation and make it happen . Learn more read , educate yourself at conventionofstates.com

Its doubtful that Mark Levin’s legion of listeners would be as eager to get behind his Article V con-con agenda if they knew whom they were fighting beside and how radically their new allies want to change our beloved Constitution.

And that’s the problem. Regardless of the soothing words of Levin or others in the con-con camp, they cannot guarantee the outcome of such a convention. In fact, in light of the lists of leftist groups provided above, the results of the convention could be an outright scrapping of the Constitution written by the Founders in favor of one more in line with the progressive ideologies of Wolf-Pac, the Sierra Club, Code Pink, and others.

Remember, according to the history of Article V-style conventions, regardless of any state or congressional legislation requiring them to consider only one amendment (a balanced budget amendment, for example), the delegates elected to the convention would possess unlimited, though not unprecedented, power to propose revisions to the existing Constitution, based on the inherent right of the People in convention to alter or revise their government.

The mind boggles at the potential proposals that could come out of a convention composed of such radical representatives.

Don’t forget, George Soros’s billions are funding these fringe groups and politicians aren’t known for their ability to resist hefty campaign contributions.

send it to low-level Quislings and Vichy-types like Glen Beck and his lapdog David Barton, Hannity, Limbaugh, the ALEC mafia and other ” fake friends of the Constitution ” – all of whom “POSE” as some kind of “conservative”

First you are clearly conflating many things into one issue-Mark Levin is a supporter of the Constitution (which contains Article V) and advocates for a very specific group called Convention of States Project” which is one group out of either 8 or 9 active for promoting an Article V convention. Your list is very inaccurate as not one of those groups is either active or supporting of this project. In fact they are only occasionally involved in any work that relates to any of the groups seeking such a convention and when it cones up they only mention one idea which will never occur as it is a leftist radical idea. None of those groups would ever support the Convention of States Project as it seeks constitutional remedy to an out of control overreaching and unconstitutional federal govt and a return to the state level of the original intent of the founders. You are also misinformed as to the fact that our Constitution does not authorize a Constitutional Convention, but does authorize an amending convention to PROPOSE, not implement, amendments to it. The words of Article V are quite clear about that, so it is not possible to “scrap” the document as you claim. In addition you misrepresent all the facts about a convention. Since delegates are chosen by the state, they do not possess “unlimited” power because their instructions come from the states and the states can recall such a commissioner the minute the step out of bounds. Even if they did propose some wild eyed idea-38 states would never ratify anything like that. You should stop the scare mongering and actually do a little reading on American History for a more logical mindset-this process was based on the very process they had used for over 100 years in forming this country and much of the process you fear so much has been clearly upheld by the Supreme Court in the past. You cannot say you support the constitution if you don’t support all the Constitution.

mark Levin and glenn beck leftists????? Both previous comments are misleading at best and downright untruthful at worst. If you are interested in factual information on what a convention of states is and how it would work go to http://www.conventionofstates.com. and browse around for a while.

Not a “Con-Con”–Constitutional Convention–as originally held in 1787. A Convention of States is a limited matter and has precedents prior to the Civil War. We’re not used to them now and aren’t well enough versed in our own history to trust the Constitution to work for us. The groups cited in an above comment such as George Soros, etc., are part of an entirely different group calling for a convention for other purposes we do not support. They are not at all a part of Convention of States Project that already has seven states solidly calling for it and many more in the process. Nor is the one-objective balanced budget amendment project directly involved. The seven states that have so far completely passed their Convention of States resolutions are affiliated with Convention of States Project headed by Michael Farris and Mark Meckler.

We can’t see the end from the beginning of the process–we can’t predetermine the outcome–but we *can* sit down together from whatever ideological backgrounds are represented, hash out the means to rein in the abuses of the federal government, and then send those one-state-one-vote amendments back to the states for ratification by 3/4’s of them. Better this than doing nothing at all on the basis that something worse would happen. “Worse” is happening now. The frog swimming frantically in the increasingly warming pot is nearly dead and doesn’t know it. Read the “Handbook” and join the movement: http://www.conventionofstates.com/handbook

I think folks just don’t get this Convention of States Project. Hey, it’s simply a meeting of State Delegates who get together for the sole purpose of making Constitution Amendment PROPOSALS !! Absolutely nothing final comes out of a Convention of States … just PROPOSALS … and not even that if enough States don’t agree. And if that happens, meeting over, everybody goes home. This is exactly what the US Congress has done in the past to amend the Constitution … agree on amendment PROPOSALS. No proposal is a final amendment until the next process (for both paths by the way) makes the PROPOSAL an amendment – and that’s when the States ratify “the proposal(s)” turning them into a Constitutional Amendment. BTW, did you know there are Liberals in the US Congress ?? … and God only knows how many interest groups are behind the scenes .. yet they [Congress] somehow came up with Amendment PROPOSALS … hmmm. The big question here is, would Congress ever PROPOSE the kinds of amendments that would take away their power ?? Yup … the correct answer is “NO”. Today’s US Congress is like a self licking ice cream cone … why would they want their ice cream to melt ?? … and we the States, can’t ratify something that hasn’t been PAROPOSED … right ?? So join today !! … Convention of States needs you !! http://www.cosaction.com/?recruiter_id=1964664

If the list is so short, then why have 7 states already passed their applications? You must be a supporter of a socialist society because that’s exactly where we’re headed if we don’t do this. Congress isn’t going to fix itself. Power corrupts and unbridled power corrupts completely. I’d like to see that changed, for one.

Okay so, I have read some of the comment on this article and can see that we are all in agreement that the Federal government is out of control. So, how do we come together on a solution? I am in favor of the Article V Convention of States Project. Here is why it will wok, and why it is safe. One of the few proposed amendments is for term limits. This alone puts We-the-People back in the driver’s seat. It also sends the message that what we accomplish once we can do again. This is an exercise in citizenship. The big government people have been active at it for quite some time. Now it is time for the limited government people to step up and use social media to exert our authority.

As to why it is safe; the Founders were brilliant when they inserted Article V. It requires a supermajority to propose and ratify new amendments. It only takes half of the legislatures in 13 states to deny ratification. We, limited government folks have enough influence, in enough states to stop any pro government amendments from passing.This is a long game strategy. It is also the only way that we can reign in these out of control faceless bureaucrats. We can put enough pressure on our State legislatures to get this done!
If not me, who? If not now, when?

I am a volunteer with conventionofstates.com a subsidiary of citizens for self governance. We are a grassroots operation involved in the education and organization of citizens throughout the united states, at all levels of government. We believe it is time to try amending the constitution at a state convention, and we intend to do so by informing the public.

Learn more at conventionofstates.com; sign the petition and volunteer. We will contact you with more information on how you can get involved in local politics; become a district captain, and begin hosting local meetings in your area. We believe that the power in this country ought to be in the hands of the people, not the legislators. In other words; our representatives and senators ought to do what we tell them to.

In an amended constitution legislators may receive shorter terms; so they may be more focused on serving the interests of the people.

In an amended constitution judges may receive shorter terms; so they may be more focused on serving the interests of the people.

More elections could ensure that the voters have their voices heard, and their interests met.

Furthermore, amending the constitution to include legislation that will require the federal government to balance a budget; to ensure government programs continue to be funded for future generations.

There are some great scholarly minds behind these statements; read more at conventionofstates.com

Nothing bad can come from an Article V Convention of States. It’s simply a meeting of the States to discuss ways to reign in this massive power grab by the federal government. Any proposals or suggestions that make it through the Convention would then go back to the State legislatures for ratification and would need 38 states to approve any proposed amendments. A ‘runaway convention’ is a virtual impossibility.

Fear is a common tactic used by Progressives, Socialists & Communists. They used it with the Klu Klux Klan (strong arm of the Democrat Party). Pol Pot used it in Cambodia, to slaughter the educated & Stalin used it, in the Russian revolution. Now it is being used to counter the growing call for an Article V Convent